Plastic 5 gallon water jugs, are they damaged by freezing?

[atikovi]

I have a warehouse where I never had the water turned on after purchase since I don't have significant need for it and don't want to pay another monthly bill. I keep 4 of these plastic 5 gallon jugs filled with water brought from home in order to fill the toilet tank when I use the bathroom. They last over 6 months. In the winter I just empty them. Would they suffer any damage if I left them full and they froze? I don't keep heat on. Even then, I'm sure it's still a little warmer inside than the outdoor temperature. And I doubt they would freeze solid. These days I wouldn't expect it to get much lower than the teens for a few hours overnight.

 

[tcp71]

If they froze solid, the expansion would crack them. Partially filled or partially frozen they might survive.

 

[BISCUT]

I've had water delivered by a service freeze in the winter and no cracks or issues when thawed.

 

[Jetronic]

i've put plastic soda bottles in the freezer and even if i forget to take them out they aren't broken. Glass, not so much...

 

[atikovi]

Well these are thicker and more rigid plastic than soda bottles. I can leave them half full and maybe add RV antifreeze.

 

[dadto2]

Leave the caps off them. It's not the expanding water that causes the problem, it's the air pressure that's created. Ever notice that when the pipes freeze, the pipe usually bursts where there is no standing water?

 

[kschachn]

Leave the caps off them. It's not the expanding water that causes the problem, it's the air pressure that's created. Ever notice that when the pipes freeze, the pipe usually bursts where there is no standing water?

So if there’s no air in a container or pipe when the water freezes then it won’t burst?

I think someone needs to research the volumetric expansion coefficient for water. Pay particular attention to what happens below 4C.

 

[Astro14]

Leave the caps off them. It's not the expanding water that causes the problem, it's the air pressure that's created. Ever notice that when the pipes freeze, the pipe usually bursts where there is no standing water?

Actually, it IS the expanding water...

When water freezes, it expands in volume. The start point of the freezing, how it propagates, are all variables, but water freezing will expand.

How does water freezing create the air pressure that you’re suggesting?

 

[Hall]

I've had water delivered by a service freeze in the winter and no cracks or issues when thawed.

Our water delivery company has indicated that the bottles being left outside (with water in them) isn't a problem...though I'm skeptical. They use these same bottles. What they probably mean is if they're delivered at 8:30am and I don't get them inside until 6pm that it's not a concern. Can I leave them outside for days in below freezing temps ? I don't plan to find out.

 

[MNgopher]

As others have said - it is the water that breaks things - not air. Water expands when it freezes - one of waters fascinating properties.

We store water at a seasonal property with no heat - we drain off some volume from the container before letting it sit when it freezes and we've had no trouble. We do store the containers in another tub to keep the water from making a mess if we make a mistake...

 

[AutoMechanic]

It’s the freezing water that causes the jug to break because when it freezes it expands.

 

[JohnnyG]

Why don't you just make a box for them and put a low wattage light bulb in for heat. Only need to be +32 degrees.
Shouldn't get seriously cold in DC.

 

[dlundblad]

Can you mix a bit of coolant in the water?

 

[ABN_CBT_ENGR]

As others have pointed out, the act of freezing is very highly unlikely going to hurt the plastic in any way ( not like we are cryogenically freezing them where we change the material structure- that's a different matter)

What "may" is the volumetric expansion in terms of increased dimension versus the modulus of elasticity of the material in question.

If the material properties are superior to the water mass and expansion- you are golden, if not, something is going to break. ( could just pop the lid off and expand out of the spout.

 

[dlundblad]

Actually, it IS the expanding water...

When water freezes, it expands in volume. The start point of the freezing, how it propagates, are all variables, but water freezing will expand.

How does water freezing create the air pressure that you’re suggesting?

Wouldn’t the freezing water and air both create issues?

When water freezes, it expands thus pressurizing any air in the container. This is assuming it’s air tight.

 

[kschachn]

Wouldn’t the freezing water and air both create issues?

When water freezes, it expands thus pressurizing any air in the container. This is assuming it’s air tight.

A gas is compressible however, a solid not so much. And besides the pressure of the gas will go down with decreasing temperature.

Water is weird in that below 4C it expands and therefore the density of the solid is less than the liquid. If that didn't happen though ice would sink and that would be a big problem for life in lakes and rivers. The air pressure would only decrease as the temperature falls.

 

[Jetronic]

Wouldn’t the freezing water and air both create issues?

When water freezes, it expands thus pressurizing any air in the container. This is assuming it’s air tight.

but the air is following the gas law so is contracting when it gets colder.

 

[dadto2]

Actually, it IS the expanding water...

When water freezes, it expands in volume. The start point of the freezing, how it propagates, are all variables, but water freezing will expand.

How does water freezing create the air pressure that you’re suggesting?

The water expands, compressing the air. The air pressure increases exponentially. If you leave the cap off, the volume of ice will rise in the bottle, the air will escape and there won't be nearly as much positive pressure inside the bottle.

 

[dadto2]

The water expands, compressing the air. The air pressure increases exponentially. If you leave the cap off, the volume of ice will rise in the bottle, the air will escape and there won't be nearly as much positive pressure inside the bottle.

Okay, mybe it's not the air pressure inside the pipe, but water pressure. Anyway, the point is that if there is room for the pressure to escape, the plastic bottle probably won't break.
https://www.livescience.com/43408-why-do-freezing-pipes-burst.html

 

[kschachn]

The article is pointing out that liquid water doesn’t compress either. But the liquid is only causing the burst because the ice is of a lower density than the liquid and occupies more space in the closed pipe.